Wharf to Wharf evolves into a family affair for Mike and Melanie Freitas

APTOS &GT;&GT; For Mike and Melanie Freitas, Wharf to Wharf is more of a family affair than a race.

What began as something for them to do as a couple grew into a family tradition and a bridge to the community. The couple has been running the race, on and off, with their two daughters and son since the 1980s.

"For me, it is the best way to feel part of a community," said Melanie, 65. "Almost like a ritual, to do it year after year."

The couple, their two daughters and three grandchildren will be among the 16,000 registered runners jostling alongside each other at the 42nd annual Wharf to Wharf on Sunday.

Though the race has its share of competitive runners that aim for times close to four minutes per mile, a majority of the runners are in it for fitness, fun and the bands. The race features 55 bands along the traditional 6 mile route to entertain runners as they traverse from the West Side to Capitola.

"One of the things we try to do is hold onto the traditions and preserve the integrity of the event," said Scott McConville, race director for the event. "But every year we try to do something different to improve the race and make the experience more memorable for the participants."

Memories from 1970s

For the Freitases, the race memories started in the 1970s when they moved to Santa Cruz from San Jose. Mike, now 66, ran to stay healthy then and when he saw a flier for the 1976 Wharf to Wharf — the fourth annual race — he signed up. Melanie, who described her husband's feelings at the end of the race as happy, said she had to experience it herself. A year later, she trained and raced alongside him.

"I remember at the end ... thinking running a race is just like having a baby," she said. "It's painful but there's nothing like the feeling afterward."

The couple ran the race together for several years, training and aiming for faster times until 1981, when their eldest daughter, Megan, who was 8 at the time, ran with them. As the years progressed, the couple's two other children started to run in the race as well and it soon became a family tradition.

"For the first few years, you always want to do better," Mike said. "But then after a while, you just want to get to the end and stuff and not worry about it."

The race was simpler back then, he said. Mike said he remembers a time when race officials handed out Popsicle sticks with numbers written on them to finishers to let them know their rank in the race. Decades later, the race has evolved to include electronic timing, international participation and even a Wharf to Wharf app for smart phones to give quick information.

For Melanie and Mike, the tradition of running as a family tapered off in the 1990s as the children got older, left home and got married. While the couple continued to run the event along with and other races, Wharf to Wharf remained their favorite. By Melanie's estimate, the couple has run the race more than 30 times combined.

More than that, it's has a storied history for the family. In 2002, the family — two parents, two daughters, two son-in-laws and one son — ran it together.

When Melanie ran in 2005, it was a month after two cancer surgeries and she's been cancer free since.

"During the past four decades, this event has really enriched our family's life and become part of our family's legacy," she said.

Race logistics

Race officials added 1,000 entries this year after assessing the course and determining the race could accommodate more runners. Even so, the race sold out within 19 hours, the quickest in the races history, McConville said.

Race officials also expect about 3,000 to 4,000 unregistered runners — known colloquially as bandit runners — to join the race at some point. There are more preventative measures to stop them from jumping in, including more security and fencing, McConville said.

What the unregistered runners may not realize, McConville said, is their presence in the race stresses the resources, including how much water is offered and how crowded the race becomes.

But the best way to prevent unregistered runners is to educate them, he said.

"We can't predict the future but for now, our goal is to continue to educate people," McConville said. "I think if we continue to educate people and let people understand that participating in the race without a bib number is wrong, slowly people will stop doing it and listen to the rules."

IF You go

What: 42nd annual Wharf to Wharf

Where: Runners start out at Beach and Cliff streets and winds 6 miles along the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and several county beaches before ending in Capitola Village.